Arua

                                    

Welcome to A-Town, ARUA, the capital of the Great Republic of the West Nile! Initially I had thought of starting with central Uganda, since it’s nearer and logistically easier to maneuver. However, the opportunity to travel a bit further came up. As a tribute to this great region, Yiyi and I chose tamarind juice [or iti, as it is known here] as our juice for the day. On its own, it tastes a bit like lemon. We grew up taking iti juice in our porridge and tea. For today, I just added a bit of honey – thankfully, Yiyi likes lemons!

I had intended for this to be a lighthearted note about the joys of living amongst the colourful people of the north west. I was going to joke about our love for brightly coloured Dutch-made kitenge fabric that we buy from our brothers across the Congo border. I was going to make a crack about Arua being a cycle town because there are more bicycles and motorcycles than humans. I was going to talk about how friendly my people are, despite my failure to acquire the language. The people of Arua have been through quite a bit of turmoil in the past. We’ve been tossed about between Uganda, Congo and Sudan, belonging to one while rejected by the others at some point in time. Thus, we are not about to make others uncomfortable in our home. I was going to explain our love for Congolese music. Strike up a Lingala tune anywhere in town and there’s an immediate dance party. We like to laugh and make merry. Hospitality is big business in A-Town at the moment (hotels, night clubs, restaurants etc).

We have a serious side too. In fact, during our visit we listened to a live radio broadcast of a political debate, similar to the presidential debate, between the candidates for MP Arua Municipality. Despite the local context, the candidates and moderators were required to speak English! The people of Arua will not accept any more embarrassment from our representatives to the central government. So, this time, we will test them with fire and make sure only the best person for the job wins. I was going to mention the curious arrival of Bryan White in Arua, just before MP elections and the rumours that his handouts were meant to tip the election in favour of a certain candidate.

There were so many tidbits to giggle about until I went to visit Jaja Angela, Yiyi’s last living great grandparent. Thereafter, things got really deep, really quickly. I knew she wasn’t well, which is part of why we made Arua the first stop on our adventure. However, I was not prepared for what or who we saw. You see Angela has always been the life of the party. She was a late convert to the Roman Catholic faith but carried the same enthusiasm she had at the drinking parties into the church. Even though we barely understood each other, she always made a grand show of celebrating her children and their children. She knew that her real treasure, her legacy is not in the things she acquired but in the people close to her. And, yes, she was biased towards boys. So, I was quite sure she would be overjoyed by seeing a new great grandson.

However, the Angela we saw is a fading shadow of her former self. She struggled to sit up, with help, tried to smile and said, “Thank God for this child. He is a beautiful boy.” Then she sat there watching us for the rest of the visit as we discussed how best to help her. The light in her eyes is gone. She is in pain.

Meanwhile, Yiyi was unaware of the gravity of the situation. He had slept throughout the entire bus trip and was charged for the day. He befriended a Chinese grocer earlier in the day and was gifted a lollipop which he spent a great part of the afternoon devouring. Then, he was curious about the numerous cousins and the fact that the grass and stones tasted different from those in Kampala. On a side note, I was quite pleased to see that women were working at construction sites along the men, lugging bricks and cement – not just cooking the midday meal.                

Jaja Angela was a sharp reminder that life is a fickle thing. The light can be snuffed out at any time. As a result, I’m changing the theme of our adventures. Initially, it was about drowning out the voices in my head and taking a break from life. Now, I think it should be about celebrating love and life. I’m going to take better care of myself – eat better, drink more juice J! I’m going to spend more time with my people now, rather than wait to collect mabugo. I am going to seek out those friends that I haven’t seen in ages. And, of course, Yiyi and I will continue on our journey to the next town. Maybe next time, we’ll be near your village or town.

For now, greetings from A-Town!

 

Yiyi and Dada,

Written on 13 August 2018

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